


The Tudors, Season 4, Episode 10, Death of a Monarchy

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s04e10 Death of a Monarchy, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 04, Series Finale, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28138710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and the rest of the series. Complete.
Kudos: 4





	The Tudors, Season 4, Episode 10, Death of a Monarchy

Maria Doyle Kennedy, Natalie Dormer, and Annabelle Wallis are in the credits, and there’s a shot of Kitty-Kat.

Open to a white horse running in a mythical-looking forest.

Next, Henry is talking to Charles Brandon. He asks what loss is most irrecoverable to man.

“His virtue,” Charles Brandon answers.

Disagreeing, Henry says a person can redeem himself. Charles Brandon guesses his honour, but Henry says the same answer applies. “Time, your grace. Above all loses, time is the most irrecuperable, for it can never be redeemed.”

Aside from being mostly right, this is essentially what Charles Brandon once said about them having lost their youth and never being able to recover it.

Elsewhere, Gardiner gives a warrant of arrest for Katherine to a servant with instructions to deliver it to Risley.

In the throne room, a new French ambassador is escorted in, and the princeling speaks to him in French. As Katherine and the Seymours talk to the ambassador, Mary and Gardiner discuss Henry possibly dying and leaving the country in the hands of Edward Seymour due to the princeling’s young age. She asks about Katherine, and he answers she’ll hear news about her shortly.

Coming in, Henry suggests mass be replaced in both their kingdoms with a simple communion service. The France ambassador is tactful in saying he doesn’t have authority to negotiate such things before bringing up the fact the French king is dying. Henry shows what might be a shred of genuine sympathy, but it’s quickly gone when he declares that the disease is a reminder of the other king’s mortality and that the other king of sometimes forgets said mortality.

This is coming from the man who almost drowned due to trying to perform a stupid stunt and insisted on jousting right after he was hit in the face with a lance.

Meanwhile, Gardiner’s servant finds one of Katherine’s servants. Giving her the warrant, he stresses her need to give it back to him once Katherine’s read it.

Next, the servant brings it to Katherine, and the latter starts to have a panic attack.

In another room, hearing screaming, Henry’s told it’s Katherine.

He goes to see her, and calming herself, she tearfully says that she fears she has displeased him. Henry asks why she thinks this, and she answers that she thinks he’s completely forsaken her. He continues to play innocent.

Finally, she says she hasn’t done anything to displease him, and he leaves.

She orders her ladies to get rid of all their books, even the ones they don’t think Gardiner would object to. She stresses they mustn’t speak of religious or controversial things even in private. Then, she promises to try to do whatever she can to get back in Henry’s good graces.

At the Brandon residence, Edward asks Brigitte if he can see Charles Brandon. No, is the answer, due to the fact Charles Brandon has caught a chill and is recovering in bed. He accepts this, but Charles Brandon appears.

Brigitte leaves, and they sit down. Charles Brandon brings up the fact Edward’s faction is engaged in a battle to the death with Gardiner, and speaking frankly, Edward brings up the fact the question of succession is vital due to Henry’s increasing bad health and the princeling’s young age. Whether Charles Brandon likes it or not, he has a great deal of influence over Henry and that everyone knows this.

It’s brought up CB and Anne are good friends whom share the same religious opinions, and stating he and CB are separated, Charles Brandon declares he can’t be assumed to have the same opinions. Continuing, he brings up N2 but acknowledges N2’s death was N2’s own fault. He finishes by saying he’s never read the gospels and never will since he prefers them to remain a mystery.

I really like this line. It’s simple, yet, if trying to explain Charles Brandon’s character, it’s one of the direct quotes from him I’d use.

Accepting Charles Brandon won’t help him, he asks if Charles Brandon will move against him.

Charles Brandon makes it clear he doesn’t know what he will or won’t do. Right now, he’s just trying to recover from his illness and spend time with Brigitte.

Meanwhile, Anne Seymour visits Gardiner. It turns out she is the one who sent the money to Anne Askew. Gardiner shows Anne a warrant for her arrest. However, it turns out, like Wolsey, he’s been embezzling. She makes it clear, if the warrant’s served, his misdeeds will be exposed.

Elsewhere, in a party of men, Katherine appears, and she supposedly convinces Henry she was only trying to learn from him and take his mind off his leg pain. Reassured, she leaves.

The man who let Katherine see the warrant asks if Henry wants the warrant revoked. No, is the answer, as he’s not done playing mind games with his wife, yet.

Back at the Brandon house, Charles Brandon is feverish, and Brigitte tends to him. Asking if the dawn’s come, yet, he babbles about hating the dark. He declares it makes him think of perpetual night.

On one level, he’s afraid of death and Hell. On another level, Henry kills him during this episode, and this is a good thing. If Henry didn’t, Charles Brandon would never forgive him. He feels death approaching, and Henry hasn’t called for him, yet.

Brigitte promises him sunrise will come soon, and he’ll recover. Knowing she doesn’t understand and not sure if he even wants her to, he says, “Brigitte, I’m so happy.”

At the castle, Katherine and Henry are laughing in the garden, and Risley comes with the arrest warrant for Katherine. Henry screams at him, and when a shaken Katherine says she’s sorry Risley made such a mistake, Henry declares Risley doesn’t deserve her sympathy.

Inside, the Seymour brothers walk through as Risley explains what happened to Gardiner. Gardiner holds out hope it was just a show to make Katherine falsely secure, and Risley answers if it was feigned anger, it felt real enough to him.

In a council meeting, Risley leads the meeting. Everyone agrees on a motion. He brings up plans for the princeling, and Edward isn’t happy since he already has preparations in place. There’s an argument, and Edward gets so angry he punches Gardiner. As people are tending to Gardiner, Edward walks out.

Next, Gardiner wants an audience with Henry, and refusing, Henry says he wants him banished. The servant who helped Katherine goes out to tell Gardiner this.

Gardiner turns to see there’s a whole audience of people who witnessed the news with Risley among them.

Your presence has certainly made this show interesting, awkward.

On another note, Simon Ward did an excellent job with this scene. Gardiner is embarrassed and struggling between accepting defeat and refusing to. Finally, after a moment or two of silent struggle, he wordlessly begins walking.

Next, Risley comes to see Edward. He he wants to pledge his loyalty to him now that Gardiner is gone. Edward accepts this.

Elsewhere, Holbein comes to see Henry. Awesome.

Henry wants Holbein to paint him.

At the Brandon household, Brigitte wakes Charles Brandon up, and TSWHK says Henry has heard of Charles Brandon’s illness. As such, he wants Charles Brandon to come visit.

Impulsive Brigitte is also one of the most sensible, compassionate characters in this episode. “No!” Explaining Charles Brandon is extremely sick, she gives TSWHK permission to ascertain this fact from some nearby physicians.

TSWHK asks what he should tell Henry, and Brigitte starts to answer, but Charles Brandon interrupts, “Tell him I shall come.” Brigitte protests, and he answers, “How can I lie in bed, my love, when the king of England has summoned me? Just get them to help me.”

If he doesn’t go, he might recover. However, if he recovers, Henry might die before him, and Charles Brandon isn’t dying without seeing the sun one last time. He can’t die in battle on Henry’s command, and so, he’ll die this way. In the end, he still obsessively loves Henry, and he dies Henry’s and assured, in his own way, Henry does have some form of affection for him.

Meanwhile, Holbein is working on the portrait, and Henry sees Catherine of Aragon. Walking over, Henry demands to know what she’s doing.

“I have come to see my daughter. Why should that surprise you, Henry?” Dressed much like her mother, Mary appears, and Catherine continues, “You have not always been kind to her. I have wept so often, to see her alone, abandoned by her father.”

“Is that why you’ve come back, Catherine? To chide me, for all that I am not?”

“She ought to be a long time married by now. She ought to have her own children.”

“Go away. Shade. Go away, Catherine.”

“You sent me away before, though, I loved you. But I was still your wife, in God’s eyes. And still am.” This last line is delivered with a great deal of creepiness and a tad bit of menace.

She and Mary disappear, and he turns to find himself still sitting in the chair as Holbein works.

Later, Charles Brandon appears. He suggests Henry not come so close due to his fever. Henry notes they’ve known each other for a long time, and Charles Brandon agrees. He says he clearly remembers things from long ago. He remembers Margaret, battles, and Henry making him a duke, “God knows why.”

Henry brings up Charles Brandon being his general in York and France due to his trust for him. Asking Charles Brandon to trust him, now, he has him kneel. Henry orders him to be healed.

Charles Brandon knows this won’t work, at least, not in saving his life, and some of him feels pity and disgust for the loss of who Henry used to be and who they’ve both become. With this action, though, Henry does heal the obsessive part and the part which protests against his obsession by reconciling them enough so that Charles Brandon can die in relative peace and happiness.

There’s a shot of the white horse, and then, Brigitte closes Charles Brandon’s eyes. She and Henry B weep for his death.

Amusingly, Henry Cavill continues breathing normally throughout the scenes featuring Charles Brandon’s corpse.

At the funeral, CB appears with Henry B. Assuming CB is heartbroken, a servant gives her a nice speech of solidarity, and she politely thanks him.

I certainly don’t blame CB for losing her love for Charles Brandon, but it’s hard to watch when Brigitte, young, impulsive, compassionate, taken prisoner, released, and arguably well-treated but never treated as a true equal, comes over to tearfully greet CB, and utterly ignoring her, CB walks past.

Upon realising she’s all alone in a foreign country, friendless, and mourning the loss of a man she loved, Brigitte leaves.

I feel sorry for both women. CB once loved Charles Brandon, and then, upon finding out who he really was, she took the appropriate action of distancing herself from him. However, she has no pity or empathy for the woman who fell in the same trap. Brigitte understood him a little more than CB did, but he was careful never to fully let her know who he was. Because of his need for someone to help him deal with his issues, he brought a foreign woman to his country, despite knowing she’d be in a potentially dangerous situation if something were to happen to him.

She speaks fluent English, but she’s poor. CB and his legitimate children will likely inherit everything. Henry B genuinely likes her, but it’s unlikely he can do much to help her. She spent most of her time with Charles Brandon and his household, and they all ignored her once CB appeared.

Back at the castle, having been delivered the news off-screen, Henry tells Edward that Charles Brandon is to be buried at his (Henry’s) expense. He has a touching moment where, speaking fondly of his old friend, he acknowledges his great loyalty. “I never thought he’d die.”

Bringing up his own death, Henry says he wants to talk later to make sure arrangements are made for his son.

Holbein appears, and Henry is displeased with the portrait due to it accurately depicting his age and ill-health. It’s brought, again, Holbein painted Henry’s father, and the show doesn’t even attempt to explain how Holbein is so youthful in appearance whilst JRM, Henry Cavill, and many other actors and actress have been made to look much older than they are.

I don’t know if this is just laziness, or if the show is purposely implying there’s something otherworldly about Holbein. I certainly wouldn’t object to the latter.

Later, Anne Boleyn appears.

Sensing her presence, Henry refuses to look at her as he asks why she’s here.

“To see my daughter. She was the only pure thing in my life, and in my life, I neglected her since she was only a girl, and I wanted so much to give you a son. But now, I’m so proud of her. Fiercely proud. She is so clever.” Elizabeth appears. “And though she is like me in so many ways, she is not intemperate as I was. You must be proud of her, too.”

Still refusing to look, he answers, “I am. I am very proud of her. And I know how clever she is. And I wish I could love her more.” Turning, he continues, “But from time to time, she reminds me of you, and what you did to me.”

“I did nothing to you. I was innocent. All the accusations against me were false. I thought you knew. Poor Kathryn Howard. She lies in the cold ground next to me. Poor child. It was not her fault, either. But we were like two moths drawn to the flame and burnt.”

She turns to leave, and he turns, “Anne, please, don’t-”

However, she and Elizabeth are already gone.

Just as Maria Doyle Kennedy did a wonderful job, so did Natalie Dormer.

Next, Henry goes to see his wife and daughters with the court behind them. Sending them elsewhere, he declares he won’t spend Christmas with them. “Or thereafter.”

Katherine asks why, but he tells her not to question him. “It is as it is.”

Approaching a tearful Mary, he instructs her to be a good mother to her little brother. She begs him not to leave her an orphan so soon, and he gently cups her cheek.

Next, tells Elizabeth to look after her brother, too. She promises.

Finally, he says to Katherine, “The time has come for us to bid farewell. It is God’s will. When I die, I order these gentlemen to treat you as if I were living still, and if it is your pleasure to remarry, I order that you shall have 7,000 pounds a year, as long as you live, for your service.”

As touching as this is, he’d have done her and Elizabeth a big favour if he’d told her to choose anyone but Tom Seymour.

Kissing her hand, he looks at his daughters. “Now, go.”

As he walks away, the three women hold hands. Once Henry has disappeared from view, Elizabeth simply walks away, but Katherine offers comfort to Mary.

Then, Jane appears. “How is my son?”

Henry is happy to see her, but she’s not happy to see him. “My poor boy. My poor child.”

“No! He is the most beloved!”

Edward appears.

“He is my special boy.” Henry reaches out.

“He will die young.”

“No! No!”

“Poor child, you expected too much of him. He was only a boy. King’s too are made of clay. And God forbid, you locked him away from the world as your father did with you.”

“No.”

“Don’t you understand? You have killed him.”

“No,” he cries.

Behind him, they turn to walk away.

At a meeting, appointing Edward as Lord Protector, Henry gives positions of support to Risley and Cranmer. He continues that he want to be buried next to Jane.

Later, Henry is sleeping, and he imagines himself a young man walking through the forest. He watches the cloudy sky reveal the sun before turning into a starry night. Behind him, a faceless swordsman rides the white horse.

When I first saw this, I thought this was Henry’s death scene with the swordsman decapitating him. It turns out, however, the swordsman is a crowned skeleton.

Henry is woken up, and he goes to sees the revised portrait.

Before the audience sees it, there’s a montage of past events.

The revised portrait presents him as a young man.

Approving, he begins walking away, and his last words are a fitting off-screen, “It is well done.”

The episode ends on the portrait with title-cards explaining what happened to him and his children.

My thoughts on the series: I enjoyed it, and I think it presented some interesting characters and valid points. It wasn’t always historically accurate, and sometimes, it took refuge in gore and crudeness, but it had depth to it. From a psychological and political standpoint, it gave some fascinating things for viewers to analyse. Rarely showing judgement, it presented a man turning into a tyrant and showed both people trying to stop his tyranny and people actively and passively contributing to it whilst exploring both the good and bad of his increasing mental instability.

Thank you, everyone who read and enjoyed my reviews of this series.

Fin.


End file.
